Hopper closure for hopper type railway cars



G. B. DOREY HOPPER CLOSURE FOR HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS June 2, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1949 INVENTOR.

G60 M35 florg/ June 2, 1953 a. B. DOREY HOPPER CLOSURE FOR HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS Fil ed Nov. 18, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORQ flflor y,

NM MN mm w m wml eh i i l \i i la k N Gears BY June 2, 1953 G. B. DOREY HOPPER CLOSURE FOR HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1949 Ill/"l VIII/l/l/l IN V EN TOR. BY George/1190759 June 2, 1953 e. B. DOREY HOPPER CLOSURE FOR HOPPER TYPE RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 18, 1949 IN VEN TOR. Geo gefi 1701 BY Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED 5S IATES ears-st carrot:

anon-s9 noPrEac-Losoais ros norraa'rrra =RAILWAY oans George B. Borer, Westmount, Quebec, -Canada,

:assignor to Enterprise l-Ralilway Equipment 2 Claims. 1

invention relates to an :improved sliding iclo'sure forthe discharge :opening of a load iconrtaininghopper.

Among vthe objects ef this invention are: The provision )of a construction for 'a sliding closure which will-conta insonlyz-a limited numherrof :moving :parts and be comparatively light in weight and of rugged construction; the provision of a I [construction involving a series of :ful'crums carried respec' ively :hy the hopper and the closure and adapted ;to accommodates, mmovable lever '-.ther.eb.etw.eon 'f'or inching the closnre in a step by :Sliep movement; :to nrovide ea construction which will hermit of operation Joy :a removable :lever arranged to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of theclosnre; to provide a frame having main rimways on which the -closure is adapted to rslidezand\extcnsionrunvvays adapted tow-support thergate aim-open position with the extension mmwar s plying in :difierent :planes dtttarent from those in whichthe main runways lie; and to qarovidean imorovedlocking and-sealring means tor tlz- .e;aatc.in closed position.

The improvement is especially concerned with sliding gates of hopper cars ior closing the :openrings of hoppers and .is of special importance in tion of the gate dilficult from a location ou't- N wardly of the car side wall.

For a more complete understanding of "th nature and scope of thisinvention reference can he had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top pilanview of the frames about the openings of a .pa'ir of hoppers, the gates for closing the same and the mechanism for opening and. closing them;

Figure '2 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly .in section showing the application of the invention to a pair of discharge hoppers;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken gen .erally along the line 3-3 of Figure .2;

Figure .4 is a detail sectional view taken along the line A! of FigureS; and

Figures '5, =6 and 7 show different ,positions of the lever which employed tor pinching the gates to the men and closed positions,

This invention is shown as applied #to a mil-I car having hoppers disposed above therspace betweenthe trails-one of WhiOhJiS shown atvfiimkFigure3 of the drawings. ln-thedrawin-gsthe .o -ent invention lisvshown in-conneotion with atpair -(of hoppers disposed between the rails and spaced longitudinally of the car from each other. In Figures .2 and Q3 of the drawings the reterence character Ml lindicates one of #the-sidesmf thec'entar sill-of the-car having :a laterally outwardly extending lower marginal flange 44.. The'llower-portion of one of the carside walls is indicated {at H which is spaced outwardl from the =icentersill to accommodate discharge :honners :I'is therloetween. .Each hopper L3 is defined! in part by oppos'itely .facing longitudinally extending walls il 4 and [5 meeting withiand uniting withzonposi'tly isloping transversely extending outer and inner walls as indicated at lit and Ill respectively, the .latter being Jformed with .a Joulge l?! to extend aroundthe'lower flange H of the center sill and thus facilitate the placement of the discharge .onening well away from the car side wall 12 and .directlyabove the space between the rails 9.

The discharge area of each hopper T3 is bordered'by .a four-sided frame Aihaving a discharge opening .[8 and a sliding closure or gate B for closing the opening 'IlB. The "frame A above the closure B includes an upper attaching section including walls I191, 213, '21 and 22 overlying and respectively secured to the walls i i, 1'5, T6 "and H of thehopper respectively.

Below the closure or gate '3 the frame A is formed with .a four-sided chufte-like descending structure including end walls 2? and 2'4 and side Walls '25 and 2B. "The end wall '23 and-sidewalls 2.5 and "25 are spaced inwardly from the corresponding upper Walls 12E}, 2! and 2'2 to provide a horizontally disposed three-sided olatiorm including side and 'e'n'd runways as indicated at 21 and '28, respectively, for supporting the closure or .gate B in closed position. "The end well "24 includes an upper "horizontally extending ledge L29 which extends transversely below the gate LB.

Extending around the lower margin of the chute-like vportion 'therelis ahorizoritally disposed structure including flanges '30 and "3| on two ad- Ij'acen't sides and U -'sha'ped grooves 32 and '33 'on the other two adj a'cen't sides, the 'tWo latter sides constituting openings for receiv'img .a removable extension chute (notsho-wn) which is adapted .to he -positio'ned in the opening .13 to hear again t the flanges '31! and '31 to he clamped thereto.

The gate B is adapted to :slide lengthwise cat the frame A on the side runways 2 1 and beyond them are provided extension rails 34 for supporting the gate B in open position. These extension rails 34 are disposed laterally inwardly of the frame A. The walls 35 are preferably disposed in alignment with and form continuations of the respective vertical side walls and 26 of the opening [8 through the frame A. Since the extension rails 34 are disposed laterally inwardly from the main supporting platforms or runways 21 of the frame A, instead of following the conventional custom of disposing them as continuations of the frame bearing surfaces, this construction has the effect of allowing such accumulations of grit or lading as may find its way beneath the gate B to be dislodged over the ends of the frame runways 21 as the gate B is opened.

The outer ends of the extension rails 34 may be supported in any suitable manner. The preferred construction has the rails 34 extended be tween and supported by the adjacent frames A of a pair of hoppers 13.

The gate B is adapted to be moved longitudinally by means of a removable lever L, Figure 3,

such as a crowbar acting upon a series of movable and stationary fulcrums carried by the gate B and hopper 13 respectively as indicated generally at 36 and 31 respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The fulcrums 36 on the gate B consist of a plurality of upstanding transversely disposed walls 38 formed integrally with a forward extension 39 of the gate B. The walls 38 are integrally united by a rearwardly disposed wall section 4| which in effect cooperates with the walls 38 in forming opensided pockets disposed centrally of the gate B and with their open sides facing the car side wall l2.

The series of fulcrums 31 on the hoppers 13 are preferably formed by notches 42 in the upstanding flange 43 of a longitudinally extending element or member 44 which extends lengthwise between two of the hoppers l3 and is disposed with the opposite flange 45 extending horizontally above the gates B in open position. The flange 45 forms a guide to restrain the gates B against bouncing. The member 44 is supported at its ends on the walls IQ of the frames A and midway between the two hoppers 13 by a channel shaped reinforcement 46 which extends transversely of the car and is welded to the extension rails 34 at 41.

The upstanding flange 43 is preferably disposed at an obtuse angle to the gates B in order to better accommodate the removable lever L at an upwardly extending angle and the outer edges 48 of the transversely extending walls 38 likewise extend at a similar angle thereby disposing the engaging surfaces of the fulcrums and 31 in a plane substantially normal to the lever L when held in an upwardly slanting position as shown in Figure 3.

The notches '42 of the stationary fulcrums 31 are spaced apart a greater distance than the distance between the pockets between the walls 38 on the gate B to insure that a pocket in any position of the gate B will provide properly aligned fulcrums for eifecting engagement between the lever L and a respective fulcrum 36 and 31 of the gate B and hoppers I3. This condition is well illustrated by reference to Figures 1, 5 and 6. Figure 1 shows the left hand gate B in fully closed position with the lever L positioned preparatory to initiating opening movement thereof. Figure 5 indicates the normal extent of movement feasible through the coengagement of these two fulcrums. Figure 6 indicates a stage of movement achieved through the medium of another aligned fulcrum location. The closing operation is a reversal of the above and is as indicated in Figure 7 in conjunction with the right hand gate B.

In order to confine the movement of the gate B to a straight line path there are provided depending lugs 49, Figure 3, at each side for engagement with the inner edges 50 of the extension rails 34.

The gate B is secured in closed position by means of an angle shaped bolt 51 which is mounted for axial movement and lies adjacent the outer end of each of the gates B at one side thereof. The bolt 5| is formed with a head portion 52, Figure 2, adapted to extend through an elongated aperture 53, Figure 3, formed in an ear 54 extending outwardly from each of the frames A. The bolt 5| is mounted in a U-shaped slotted bracket 55 which in turn is secured to a laterally projecting section 56 of each of the gates B. The bolt 5| is provided with a depending handle 51' which operates to maintain the bolt 5! in a position wherein the head 52 is disposed out of alignment with the elongated aperture 53, it being understood that passage of the head 52 through the aperture 53 is only possible when the handle 51 of the bolt 5! is turned upwardly and outwardly. A slotted opening 58 is formed in the head 52 for the reception of a seal.

In order to guard against unauthorized retention of a removable bar or lever L in the fulcrums 36 and 37, they are arranged to form open top pockets which will ensure automatic disengagement of the lever L under the influence of gravity upon release by the operator.

In view of the placement of the lever L to operate in a substantially horizontal plane, it will be appreciated that there are no limitations to the length of lever L which may be employed. The application of force to pinch the gate B to open or closed position is applied in a most direct manner, thereby providing great power for overcoming the resistance encountered in initiating the opening movement of the gate B when highly compacted lading bears against it.

Since certain further changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it it intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a hopper for a railway car having inclined sides defining a hopper opening spaced inwardly from the side wall of the car, a frame around said opening, a gate carried by said frame for closing said opening, said gate being horizontally slidable from and to closed position on said frame underneath one of the inclined sides of said hopper, a flange stationarily mounted above the path of said gate at an obtuse angle to said gate away from said side wall and carrying a plurality of upstanding spaced fulcrums, and an extension from said gate providing a plurality of horizontally extending pockets at the level of said fulcrums on the side thereof away from said car side wall and juxtaposed to said fulcrums and mov able therealong together with said gate in either direction by insertion of a bar horizontally between a pair of fulcrums and into the adjacent pocket and horizontal pinching movement of said bar, the bottoms of said pockets limiting the extent that said bar can be inserted past said fulcrums.

2. In combination, a pair of hoppers for a railway car having inclined sides defining a hopper opening spaced inwardly from the side wall of the car, adjacent sides of said hoppers defining an inverted V-shape, a frame around each hopper opening, a gate carried by each frame for closing the corresponding hopper opening, extension rails between said frames for supporting said gates in their movement from and to open position, each gate being horizontally slidable from and to closed position underneath the side of its hopper forming said inverted V-shape, a flange secured to said adjacent sides of said hoppers and extending above the paths of said gates and carrying a plurality of upstanding spaced fulcrums, an extension from each gate providing a plurality of horizontally extending pockets at the level of said fulcrums on the side thereof away from said car side GEORGE B. DOREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 288,792 Goodrich Nov. 20, 1883 812,739 Harles Feb. 13, 1906 1,210,144 Butts Dec. 26, 1916 1,484,764 Dodd Feb. 26, 192% 1,582,784 Pumphrey Apr. 27, 1926 2,145,174 Hankins Jan. 24, 1939 

